Disclaimer: I don't own Megaman Zero. Capcom does. Dammit.
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It was just another day on the job for Pantheon 33021. Go into some mysterious ruins. Kill everyone. Leave.
Somewhere along the line, it seemed that this day hadn't read the memo. Pantheon 33021 missed his legs.
And his left arm. And half of his head.
Oh, the day had started well enough. The lord and master mighty Fefnir has surprised them all with a raid on another mysterious ruin. They'd go there and kill everyone!
Even better, this time they had a Golem! Pantheon 33021 remembered seeing those blank-faced monsters roll of the production line. With their powerful lasers, killing would be more refined than ever!
And then the bloody hero had to show up.
Well, only technically, Pantheon 33021 guessed. He seemed pretty into the mass slaughter. That was a positive.
But never mind that! He'd rescued the human! And single-handedly continued the war for years!
Wait.
Pantheon 33021 paused a moment to absorb this.
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Fefnir's fist crashed down onto the map-viewer. So far 143 Pantheon two Golems had been sent into the complex to deal with the resistance leader, a human. So far all had been destroyed, except for one unit who was sending back some odd signals.
"It doesn't make any sense! There shouldn't have been anything in there that could cause this level of damage!" he roared, slamming his fist down upon the map-viewer again, leaving a large break in the plastic screen. "If I didn't know those chumps' style, I'd swear it was one of the other generals down there! This is madness!"
Fefnir swung to look at his subordinate, Anubis Necromancess. As usual, she was standing to attention, but her staff was off doing something else. He glared at her until it came into view from under the map-viewer.
"Need I remind you this is a professional operation?" he said, his words dripping with malice. Anubis saluted, and quickly snatched the staff out of sight.
"What do you need me to do, sir?" she answered, still saluting.
"Wait here, and when the bastard who's killing my troops gets up here, crush him to dust."
"Yes sir!"
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"DIE ALREADY YOU LITTLE BLUE BASTARD!"
"YOU FIRST!"
Pantheon 33021 and Zero glared at each other. 33021 had been lying in a pool of oil, self-pity and shocked realisation when Zero had checked the complex one last time before heading for the exit, and had come upon him. One swift kick later, and 33021 had managed to snag himself on a ledge on the way down. Now Zero was taking potshots at him, but the ledge managed to bear up to them.
"Ah, Zero, we need to get out of here." Suggested Ciel, keeping the gun she'd picked up in the aftermath of one of Zero's many rampages steady. She sighed. Of all the luck, she'd ended up with a homicidal maniac who spoke a completely different language to her – and was more obsessed with killing random Pantheon than getting out alive of the crumbling ruin she'd found him in. Passy had left ahead of them to signal the resistance forces for pickup, but Ciel felt like they'd never get anywhere at this rate.
A burst of static interrupted 33021's and Zero's shouting match. 33021 seemed to pale a second before shouting he had a message for Zero. A dry, melodic voice replaced 33021's monotone drone.
"Attention resistance: This is Anubis Necromancess, Flame Commander of General Fefnir's army. Surrender yourselves at once and I may show you mercy. Otherwise, I will reduce you and this entire trash heap to rubble. You have one hour to comply. Please proceed to the north-western exit when you've made the right choice."
Zero glanced over to Ciel and grinned like a kid in a candy store.
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AN: Sorry it took this long to produce another chapter.